Getting a deduction game to work with lower player counts is not an easy task. Having one that also caters to a wide age range is even harder. However, The Grimm Masquerade has absolutely nailed it. The game scales incredibly well and works at all player counts.

In the Grimm Masquerade you will all be dealt a random fairy tale character. Each character has icons denoting their boon and bane items. These are the crux of your deduction in the game. During your turn you will take two cards one at a time, placing one of them face up in front of you and one face up in front of another player.

Whenever a player has two of the same item in front of them, they must reveal if it is their boon item. If it is, they are unmasked and cannot win the round, although they can still win points. If it’s not their boon they place one of their evidence markers on the portrait of the character whose boon item does match the item to show it’s not their hidden character.

The downside is that they then have access to some useful powers including the ability to accuse other players and guess their character. If a player has three duplicate items in front of them, they check their boon item. If it matches, they win the round, if not they place an evidence marker on the portrait of the character who’s boon it is. As this goes on you start to get a lot of information as players seem to avoid certain items and collect others, bluffing as they do.

The available powers are varied and two of them change each round with the accusation always being available. The winner is the first to get to 10 points or with the most points after three rounds. The simple game is perfect for families and a quick teach at game nights, but there are also a few modular extras for more complexity!

Player Count: 2-5
Time: 20-40 Minutes
Age: 8+